Fish-trap



(No Model.) A

M.B.MARS HALL,

4 FISH TRAP.

No. 254,989. l Patented Mar.14,1882.

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Unire STATES PATENT @tirreno MAJOR B. MARSHALL, OF VIENNA, MARYLAND.

FISH-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,989, dated March 14, 1,882.

l Application tiled January 16, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom tt may concern Be it known that I, MAJOR B. MARSHALL, of Vienna, in the county ot' Dorchester and State ot' Maryland, have invented a new and Improved Fish-Trap; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact dcscription of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of' my improved fish-trap, and Fig. 2 a detail view.

Myinvention relates to improvements in fishtraps; and it consists in the peculiar arrangement and construction ofthe parts, as hereinafter lnore fully set forth.

ln the accompanying drawings, @represents a series of stationary poles driven into the bed of a river. near one of its banks, so as to form in outline preferably a spear-head, b, two concentric oblong figures, c d, provided with openings ee'in their sides, lying opposite each other, and a row of stationary poles, a, leading trom the bank ofthe stream to the inner opening, e.

71J h represent a series of runner-poles inserted in the bed ofthe stream, each alongside of and parallel to a stationary pole, c, to which it is lashed at its top by a cord, t', thus securing each stationary pole to its runner-pole. lc represents a net, closed at its sides and bottom, of the form and configuration of the spear-head b, and ,provided at each of its angles at the bottom of the net with cords l, which pass through holes m, made in each of the runnerpoles at the bottom of the stream. The cords are thence passed upward and secured to the upper ends of the stationary poles. The upper edge of the net lc is secured to the stationary poles near their upper ends. By this construction the net can be drawn down into position by the cords, and when the net becomes lled with fish the cords Z may be unlashed from their stationary posts and the net raised and the sh contained therein removed.

rlhe outer oblongtgure, c, formed by the stationary and runner poles a h, is inclosed on its outer side by a net, n, secured at its upper edge to the upper ends of the stationary poles c, and at its lower edgeto the lower ends of the runner-poles h. lhe net n extends from the stationary pole opposite t-he spear-head entirely around the outer side ot' the oblong Iigure c and around its oppositc end a short distance, where it joins abruptly the inner oblong gure, d. The inner side of the oblong figure c, formed by the stationary and runner` poles c h, is inclosed partly by the extension ot' the net n, above described, and by the net n', extending from one ofthe stationary poles opposite the spear-head around the inner line ofthe stationary and runner poles directly opposite the bank a short distance, where it abruptly turns inward and is joined to theinner oblongtgurad, Theouteroblonggure,c,has an opening for the passage ot' tish opposite the spear-head, and is closed at its opposite end.

'lo the stationary and runner poles, at the opening o, is secured a netted funnel, p, which passes through an openingr in the end of the net 7c, which funnel passes through the opening lr into the spear-head, and is provided with cords q at its outer end, by means of which it may be lashed in place to the stationary pole at the point ofthe spear-head to retain it in place, 'or may be nnlashed from the stationary pole and thrown over the rear edge of the net k when it is desired to remove the fish.

The funnel may be kept extended for the passage ot' tish by hoops or arches inserted in the bottom ot' stream and straddlin g the funnel, to which the funnel is secured to keep it open.

The inner oblong figure, d, formed by the stationaryv and runner poles a h and concentric with the oblong figure c, is inclosed by a net, r, extending from the top to the bottom ofthe stationary and runner poles c h to retain the fish. The oblong gure d has openings s s at each end for the passage of tsh, and offsets tt projecting inwardly and covered by the net fr.

u represents a net secured to the upper and lower ends of the stationary and runner poles a It, leading from the bank of the stream to the middle of the openings c e in the oblong figures o d. This'net u acts as ahedge or obstruction to the passage of iish up or down the stream. The iish thence pass through the passages e into the inner oblong igure, d, and pass thence through the passages s s into the funnel, and thence into the spear-head. To remove the fish from the spear-head the outer end of the funnel is raised and thrown over the rear of the net lr. The cords lot' the net 7c are unlashed and the net raised.

The nets k and n are attached to the runnerpoles, when it is desired to set the nets, as follows: The upper edges ot' the nets being secured to the stationary poles near their upper ends, as described above, the cordsl at the lower ends ot' the nets are passed through the ro holes m in the runner-poles and drawn upward stationary poles.

combined with an adjustable fish-pound to a close the opening in the. heart is not new; and

I am further aware that a net with a closed bottom and having endless lines. secured at their ends to the upper and lower ends ofthe corners or angles ot the net, whichV lines pass through upper and lower holes in stakes planted in the stream, to which the corners of the netare secured, by means of which endless lines passing through holes in the stakes the bottom ofthe net may be raised up or hauled down, has heretofore been employed, and I therefore lay no claim to such inventions.

1. rIhe combination, with the stationary poles at and runner-poles h, `each provided with a hole, m, near its lower end, of the spear-headshaped net k, closed at its sides and bottom, and having cords Zat the angles of its bottom, substantially as described, and fer the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the spear-headshaped net lc, provided with the opening 7c', and secured to the stationary' and runner poles a h, of oblong figure c, inclosed by nets a n', and provided with theopeningeo,fuunelp,openinginto the oblong figure c and spear-head, oblong figure d, concentric with the gure o, open at both ends, inolosed by the net r, and provided with u the opening e', and net u, extending from the opening e to the bank, and secured to the stationary 'and runner poles a h, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

The above specification oi' my invention 55 signed by me in the presence of two subscrib .ing witnesses.

M. B. MARSHALL.

Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMON, x J orrN T. LAWRENCE. 

